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A Prayer of Thanks for the Four Elements
 (written by Talitha Arnold, with ideas from the Children of United Church of Santa Fe.
You may want to work with the children of your own congregation 
 To get their ideas about blessing the earth.)

A Prayer for Air:
		We thank you, God, for the gift of air –
		For cool breezes and brisk winds that refresh us, 
		For blue skies and crystal clear nights,
		For the smells of every season—summer and winter, spring and fall.
		Most of all, we thank you for the air that gives us life.
			You offer your Spirit to us with every breath we take.
			May we protect this gift that gives us life. 

 Song		Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness  verse 1 and refrain			     TNCH 286

A Prayer for Water:
		Thanks be for water
		That sustains the life of animals, fish, and plants,
		That cleans our bodies and blesses our souls.
		For the water of tears that wash away our grief,
		For the water of slides, lakes, pools, and oceans 
where we can play and have fun.
		Thanks be for water.
			Your water gives us new life. 
			May we treasure that gift and share it with others. 

Song		I’ve Got Peace Like a River                                                                             TNCH 478
	
A Prayer for Fire:
		Thank you for fire and the many ways we can use it, 
		to cook our food, 
		to sterilize and purify,
		to smelt ore and form metal, 
		to warm our homes, and 
		to make the most of the electricity we have. 
			You light our way and enlighten our minds.
			May we be open to the fire of your Spirit.

Song		Come Forth, O Love Divine	Verse 1  	                                           TNCH 289

A Prayer for Earth: 
		Thank you for the ground beneath our feet,
		Your good earth that gives life to all.
		In a mystery we don’t understand, 
green plants spring forth from your darkness.
		Canyons and mountains, plains and deserts 
show us your infinite imagination.
		We thank you for this firm foundation 
on which to build our homes and our lives. 
			May we always love this land as you love it. 
			May we care for this good earth that gives us such good life. 

Song		Touch the Earth Lightly (verses 1 and 3)		                          TNCH 569		
 Prayer of Thanks for the Four Elements was written by the Rev. Talitha Arnold, Senior Minister of The United Church of Santa Fe.  . Other Mission 4/1 Earth materials may be found at http://www.ucc.org/news/mission-for-one-earth-website.html

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Copyright 2013  Talitha Arnold. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.